Breakfast

“The less I behave like Whistler’s mother the night before, the more I look like her the morning after.” ~ Tallulah Bankhead, actress

With a title like that, there couldn’t be a better day to post this than the day after Valentine’s Day!

My husband had a good group of friends as a teen and a lot of them have stayed close over the years. Growing up together in a small town instilled a special sense of community and closeness. Evenings were spent playing Dungeons & Dragons in someone’s basement or they would trek off for adventures in “the bush” and occasionally they hung out at the drive-in theatre.

Time has found the friends in different parts of the country and the globe, but they continue to maintain a nice loyalty to each other.

Wes is one of those long-time friends. He was quick to move to Toronto after high school. He loved the energy and diverse life of the bigger city. It gave him a chance to mingle with people from a variety of ethnicities. Becoming a French Immersion teacher naturally fit with his love of languages.

Kenya

Liberia

During his time off, Wes has volunteered with Project Overseas, a branch of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.

Liberia

Wes and his Project Overseas team

He loved working with teachers in Grenada, Kenya, Liberia and Burkina Faso and while he went with the intention of helping them, he returned from each place deeply enriched with a greater understanding of himself and humanity.

Wes & Patrick

Wes and his partner Patrick enjoy the wide range of great restaurants and markets found in Toronto. They live adventurously here and abroad and make sure to treat themselves to good times and great food. Normally I explain the titles of the recipes with more details,but with a title like this, need I say more? 😉

“This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption… Beer!”– Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, Friar Tuck

Recently I was at a trade show and a woman walked up to me startled by my height. I’m 6’2” and I love it. She had a really good sense of humour and made me laugh when she said, “You don’t look so tall on your blog!”

My blood line is a mix of Dutch and Norwegian. As you may know from my first post, the maternal line of my family is Mennonite (100% Dutch descent). The paternal side – the Johnson side of my family – is Norwegian, so I decided there has to be some Viking blood in me.

Vikings were not the barbarians that legend has implied. By the 9th century, Vikings had started settling into England and it has been said that English women preferred Norse husbands because they were very well read, plus they bathed and used combs.

Porridge comes with many different names from different parts of the world, but the recipe remains really simple. Porridge is a dish made from boiling a grain in water or milk.

In 1854, Hanna Winsnes (1789-1872) published the first Norwegian cookbook. “Lærebog i de forskjellige Grene af Husholdningen”which basically translates to “Teaching book in the different sections of the household”.

One of Hanna’s recipes is “Beer Porridge.” The instructions she wrote were awkward to intrepret, so I did some searching and reworked it in 21st century English. My version is different, but more workable, I believe.

On page 155 of Hanna Winsnes’ cook book:

The beer is mixed with water according to taste; normal home-brew beer can be used undiluted. For each pot of mix take two egg yokes and one half pægel (1.2dl) of full fat cream, or three egg yokes without cream. Beat well. When the beer is boiling and has been mixed cooked with sugar (to taste), take the pot off the heat, and pour in the eggs while beating vigorously, to form a froth.

The dish does not keep but must be eaten immediately.

Dice fine rye bread and brown it in butter; when it has been well mixed with the butter sprinkle a little powdered sugar (icing sugar) over, keep stirring, like when you are roasting coffee. This is eaten with the beer porridge, and can be made before the beer is started.

Norwegian Beer Porridge

2. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer, stirring constantly, until it thickens.

3. Serve warm with cold skimmed milk.

*TipsCan be served as a dessert with whipped cream.For a sweeter porridge, substitute dried spice cake crumbs for the rye bread and spice with cinnamon and nutmeg

Let me take this opportunity to introduce you to Mads Refslund, a brilliant Danish chef. Here is a description of his beer porridge.

Old rye bread softened with beer and then submerged under white chocolate foam and salted milk ice cream. This must be the breakfast that fuels grizzled fishermen as they hunker down against wild North Sea winds. It was out of this world and completely unique to my palate.

I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.

~ Lauren, 4 years old

Her story ~ The Sisterhood of the Crêpe

by Darcelle Runciman

Darcelle Runciman

Speaking of love… my husband Pat and I met 10 years ago and our love of the outdoors and of cooking is part of what brought us together. One of our first trips together outside Canada was to the Dominican and I remember we ate at a local café and enjoyed chocolate crêpes, which now having the recipe we carry on that tradition. We love the outdoors so much that we were married on a beautiful sand beach in Prince Edward County in Ontario. We love spending time in the kitchen creating good food for family and friends over the years. We were married 5 years ago and will be celebrating my sister’s wedding this year. So you can bet crêpes will be on our breakfast menu!

I remember one day just before lunch when I was visiting my sister and we both did not feel like cooking, we looked at each other and said so where should we go? Well to our local breakfast restaurant to have crêpes of course! I love that we can share laughs and food and create moments in time that we remember forever. Our family is very close and we love getting together and enjoying each other’s time and cooking and having fun in the kitchen. It is simply part of what we do, and something I believe that has been handed down by our grandmother who was always in the kitchen. My sister and I love baking and she now owns her own cupcake businessBake Sale Girl and has won awards for her unique displays of “sinful” treats.

As for myself and my wonderful family, we continue to make crêpes a staple in our home, and I continue to bake for my family from recipes that have been passed down for generations. Enjoying them each time as if it were the very first.

Having lived in Montreal for 21 of my years there are many French inspired dishes that were created by my sister and myself over time. The crêpe is one of my favourites.

The history of the crêpe came from France where “the pancake is known as a crêpe” and spelled with a character known as the circumflex or ˆ over the first “e.” The word comes from the Latin term crispus, which explains the flat, almost crisp texture. The crêpe actually originated in Brittany, in the northwest corner of France, where they still make sweet crêpes or galettes, which are filled with meats and cheeses.

In medieval times, peasants presented crêpes to their feudal lords as a demonstration of loyalty. In the Breton town of Quimper they actually have a museum celebrating the history of crêpes. It’s located (where else?) in Place au Beurre or Butter Square!” February 2 is considered National crêpe Day in France, and are served everywhere.

Though most crêpes are made with white flour you can also use a variation of buckwheat flour, which if used will make the crêpes gluten free.

Crêpes can be crisp created by using less mixture added or thicker and heavier with more than three scoops added. Our family enjoys it with 2 scoops of crêpes mixture which lends to a thin, softer crêpes and not too heavy. We have enjoyed them with breakfast with our home made maple syrup that we make on our land by tapping our own trees, and fruit. These “Sinful” treats are so good I once hosted a crêpes party where everyone brought a variety of fillings and with the crêpes let’s just say it was an evening never to forget of friendship, good food and fun! We had an egg & broccoli mixture, a main course meal that consisted of egg, bacon and ham, topped off with a dessert crêpe dusted with icing sugar. It was to die for! We used our own homemade maple syrup, chocolate, whipped cream and it was heaven! The ladies still talk about it to this day!

What was once considered a demonstration of loyalty has now become a demonstration of love for families around the world including ours which was created from a bond of two sisters, and the love for good food and great experiences. There are hundreds of recipes from around the world and you can find many on the source site above or any site that talks about Crêpes. The original base of the recipe can stay the same while the filler ingredients are what vary per household. Creating your own variation can be an adventure in the world of food. One that you will be glad you embarked on as our family has for over a century.

The love that goes into creating these masterpieces will tickle your taste buds and have you coming back for more. Enjoy!

“Sisterhood” Maple Rum Temptation Crêpes

Serves 4

Delicious Crêpes that can be used for dessert, breakfast or main course. This sinful treat comes with an impressive sauce.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan on medium. Heat and stir until butter is melted & mixture is boiling. Boil gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add rum and stir. Makes about 1 cup (250ml) of sauce.

Toppings:

Whipped CreamFruit (see suggestions below)

Add fruit just prior to serving; bananas, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries to crêpes. Top with whipped cream and sauce.

Prep Time 20 Mins.

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Darcelle Runciman is an internationally recognized Business Mentor, Facilitator, Speaker and co-author of the Canadian Best seller, The Power of Women United.

With over a decade as a successful entrepreneur running a multi-million dollar company, Darcelle’s expertise in business building & development, project management, real estate investment, corporate organization, marketing and teaming up with investors in joint venture partnerships, has allowed her to collaborate with high profile business coaches, government departments, and mentors.

She is now dedicated to coaching business owners to success though balancing their strengths, their spirit, and creating action, while increasing their profits. Find out more about Darcelle www.darcellerunciman.com.

Update: I am proud to announce that Darcelle is launching Infinity Magazine, a new, exciting venture that I am very happy to be part of.

Some people have a natural ability to garner good will and Margaret and Robert Campbell are the best. After years working in careers, running businesses and counting down to retirement, they could have chosen to rest on their laurels and slow down, but no. They decided to start a new business.

When Bob & Margaret established Colour Tech Marketing http://www.colourtech.com/, they set out to be leaders in the business. They were the first company in Canada to print full colour, glossy business cards with colour photos on them. Today, they continue to stay on the cutting edge of technology and personal service.

Margaret has often said, “We do whatever it takes to keep our customers happy.” Their quick smiles and generosity have gained them people’s trust and confidence. It is surprising how many business people, far and wide, know them and like them.

Recently a real estate board organized their first trade show. It had a few bumps and by the end of the day, the word had spread among the hundred or so exhibitors to bring suggestions to Bob as the board was looking to him for direction for next year’s show. Bob naturally stepped into his big brother role within the group.

Each week Margaret & Bob go full tilt. They will attend at least one trade show a week, often travelling a distance, and return to put in long hours running their growing business. Recently they decided to start yet another initiative – a Canadian first – to build on the marketing services they so adeptly provide. They go at a pace that would exhaust many people half their age.

Talk to Margaret about food and she bursts with enthusiasm. She says it usually takes one special ingredient to take a dish from delicious to spectacular. Her beef stroganoff has always been a favourite, but recently she substituted cream cheese for the cream and that put it in a whole new league. There are a couple of kicker ingredients in her French Toast recipe: the Cointreau and the cream. It is her favourite thing to serve to guests.

I am always curious to find people who love food and cooking, yet maintain their weight. Bob will look you straight and sober in the eye and tell you he has to run 3 miles a day to keep his in check!

Midnight is the moment you are ending a day and starting the next. Bob & Margaret have enthusiasm, and creativity and are always looking to start something new.

Whip together the eggs, cream, vanilla, zest and Cointeau in a large bowl.

Place the bread slices in one or more cake pan and pour the egg mixture over all the slices making sure each slice is evenly coated.

Cover the pan(s) with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit. It can sit on the counter for 15 minutes or be placed in the fridge overnight before baking.

Place the slices on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375ºF for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm. Can be topped with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or maple syrup.

Garnish tip: Peel a slim strip of orange peel and wrap it around a toothpick. Later, pull the toothpick out and the orange peel should be curled and a perfect garnish for your French toast or a beverage.

Hmmm…. Margaret…. Margarita….

According to the Cointreau website, Mrs. Margarita Sames created the first “Margarita” in 1948. Here is the original recipe.